USA TODAY columnist Mark Veverka. / Martin E. Klimek, USA TODAY

by Mark Veverka, Special for USA TODAY

by Mark Veverka, Special for USA TODAY

The plight of Edward Snowden, the fugitive former National Security Agency contractor accused of espionage, who is hopping from country to country to evade extradition to the USA, has turned the sanctity of our personal data into a national hot button. Snowden claims the NSA is secretly tapping our phone conversations and reading our e-mails to protect us from terrorists.

Yet, we need not only be concerned with how the government is gathering and using our data. We should be equally cognizant of what businesses such as retailers, banks and medical providers are doing with our personal information and how it affects our relationships with them.

For starters, it appears that we are much more willing to share personal information with banks than our doctors. About 87% of Americans are willing to share personal financial details with their financial institutions, but only 58% are willing to share personal medical details with their doctors, according to an extensive global survey exclusively obtained by USA TODAY.

The study, which was conducted by Infosys, the India-based international management consultant, surveyed more than 5,000 people worldwide. Infosys deliberately skewed the study toward people who are digitally connected. Most used the Internet and bought something online in the past six weeks, and more than 80% of them owned a smartphone.

The assertion that we might trust Wells Fargo more than our family doctor isn't that surprising at first blush, says Steve Pratt, the San Francisco-based head of Infosys' consulting and systems integration group. We expect banks to monitor every transaction we make, regardless of how big or how small, to assure that our money is safe. We also tend to trust them more because they've earned that trust, for the most part, since making the transition to digital banking more than a decade ago, Pratt says.

How an institution treats our information, and how it uses that data, tends to determine how much we as consumers are willing to share with them.

"Consumers want to trust these companies, but companies have to earn that trust," Pratt told USA TODAY in an interview.

We share nearly every informational aspect of our lives with our banks, such as what gym we belong to, where we travel and what medicine we take.

We apparently aren't that forthcoming with our doctors, a finding that's really not that shocking, if you think about it. Only 56% of the survey's respondents are willing to share family history, and only 51% were willing to offer details about diet or exercise.

Of course, there are explanations. The natural hesitancy with the health care system and insurance industry is because they've trained us to believe that such information will be used against us when it comes to receiving care or coverage at affordable prices in the future, Pratt says.

While we might be willing to share some information with a doctor as an individual, we remain concerned about what a health care network, hospital or insurance carrier is going to do with that data. Plus, while finally making great strides toward becoming more digital, the health care system is a laggard when it comes to using the Internet, mobile devices and big data.

That also tends to imply, rightly or wrongly, that our data isn't quite as secure or efficiently managed by health care providers. I had a routine check-up recently, and the duplicate paperwork alone was daunting. It left me asking: Do you really need to know that?

"Health care institutions have probably done the worst job of telling consumers, 'What's in it for me?' " Pratt says. "Companies need to be clearer about what they intend to do with that information."

In other words, our banks, retailers and doctors need to earn that trust through clear communication and by actions that demonstrate they deserve to be trusted. As much of a nuisance as it is when a credit card company freezes our accounts because it detects some bad guy is using our cards, or cards are being used in countries where we seldom travel, that institution is actually gaining our trust.

"You have to make deposits into your customer's trust account," Pratt says. "If you just make withdrawals, you will go bankrupt."

The Internet has changed marketing and advertising forever. Companies, institutions and governments can now maintain direct digital relationships with each and every one of their customers. That means that they can no longer ignore unhappy consumers. They need to fix problems and reward customers with exclusive service, timely discounts or other tangible benefits to reinforce their willingness to continue to share information.

"People tend to over-emphasize the big-data part of this transformation when this is really about social change and the changing of business models," Pratt says.

Now, if I could only find my data.

Mark Veverka is a technology columnist with more than 25 years of financial journalism experience. He was previously a columnist at Barron's, The Wall Street Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle.